Ariel Fiszbein's blog

I recently participated in a seminar in Santiago de Chile on ‘Conditional Cash Transfers and Human Rights’. A few years ago I would have wondered what could possibly be the link between the two. Not anymore.

I want to share something puzzling that has troubled me for some time: Why don’t development agencies use results-based financing more consistently as a way of supporting stronger governance in developing countries?  Let me explain the source of this puzzle and give you my personal take on the issue.

I am writing from Seoul, where I participated in the Economic Development and Impact Evaluation conference organized by the Korea Development Institute. Korean officials at the conference had a consistent and forceful message: aid works.

I had heard (and read) about the community schools in Nepal for several years.  Last February, I finally had a chance to visit them.  Community-run schools are often seen as a potentially powerful way of improving accountability for results.  While there are many variations across the world, the basic idea is actually quite simple: give parents and community members the authority to make key decisions (such as hiring teachers) and managing resources.